When I finally got off the private plane Luvia had sent over for me, I inhaled deeply of the cold air of my homeland. A moody grey sky hung overhead, and storm clouds rumbled furiously in the distance. It looked like rain would break out at any second.
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I missed London." I remarked, stepping down the stairs one by one with a hand shoved in my pockets. "Wonder what kind of reception I'll get this time around."
"They lifted the Sealing Designation so you should be alright."
"That was a rhetorical question, Rin." I glanced over my shoulder.
The Lady of the Tohsaka had just stepped out behind me, and was taking in her new surroundings with shimmering eyes. After a moment, she tucked a stray bang behind her ear. "Right, but I answered it anyway."
Dammit, another week and this girl would completely adapt to my prodding.
"Henry, why did you expect any better from a hard-headed heretic with no money?"
Fortunately, Rin was yet to get accustomed to the poison in Caren's words. Her mouth hung ajar, then she shook her head and stepped down anyway, deciding it was better to not engage with the white-haired priestess behind her at all. When Rin wasn't looking, Caren gave me a thumbs up, though her face remained stuck in a deadpan.
"So this is London, huh?" Rin asked once we were on the ground.
"Yeah, careful you don't get shanked walking randomly."
"That's a mean stereotype."
"No, no, actually happened to me a while back."
"Huh," She made a strange face, "I'll be careful then."
Before I knew it, Medusa had stepped in beside me. The Gorgon was looking around, delicately holding my shirt from the back as her gaze moved from plane to plane. Nobunaga though, she was in the sky, arms crossed and looking down on the world like a tyrant.
"I'll leave you alone for a bit, Henry," Rin said, "I think Shirou and the others might need a bit of help-"
"Hal~!"
My head snapped towards the voice, Luviagelita's voice. I spotted my lady rushing into the hangar on high heels, with all the grace of a proper Princess. Though, the corner of her amber eyes grew watery the nearer she got.
For a moment, she walked, then she broke into a run. I was too stunned by her to even move. Yes, I'd not seen for a while but to not even be able to move was a bit embarrassing. Actually, I even felt heat rush up to my face at the sight of her.
The Edelfelt Prin-... MY Princess was as incredible as the day I'd last seen her. No, even better. Her navy sweater dress struggled to hide her amazing curves like all dresses that came before it, and had precious red and blue stones sewn into the cuffs and along the neck.
She wordlessly threw her arms around my neck and smushed her lips against mine with unexpected ferocity. I heard a strangled gasp from behind me, but I ignored it to take Luvia off her feet and whirl her around.
"I missed you terribly, Hal." Her eyes shone brighter than any stone. Then and there, she had tossed aside all the grace of a noble to hold me. "It was as if a piece of myself was missing."
I laughed softly, "We talked every day."
"But I did not get to hold you."
At those words, I held my silence, and hugged her tighter.
"So... how many souls did you get your hands on while I was gone?"
"Just the one," She giggled, "At the trouble of my own."
"You're too cheesy."
"The same to you. Do not think I don't see your blush." She giggled into my neck.
Admittedly, I reddened further at that.
"You have me there." I ended up relenting.
She wordlessly held her head against my chest.
Indeed, just for this, running away from death would have been worth the shame and excitement it would deny me. For my hedonism, I was not yet ready to discard my life anymore.
"Wha... Wha... What the hell are you two doing?!"
That was... I pursed my lips, turning to look at the redfaced Tohsaka standing beside us with clenched fists. Honestly, I had no words for her either. Luvia did. She snorted and locked elbows with me to regard Rin with a victorious smirk.
"What is it Too-saka? Can't you see I, the Edelfelt head, am busy reuniting with my beloved?"
"E-Edelfelt? Isn't that the-" Rin stammered, then suddenly grabbed me by my cuff, tugging fiercely, "... Like hell I'll let you of all people win him over!"
Luviagelita threw her head back and laughed aloud, "What? Who do I have to win over, exactly? Go on, Henry, educate this peasant."
...
Instead of shooting down Rin like I should have, and like Luvia expected me to, I found myself unable to utter the exact words no matter how hard I tried.
Why was this happening?
"T-Tell this muscly animal I was letting you marry me. "
"W-We've gone beyond that point already! You peasant! Even if he agrees, I will always be first! A plebeian like you is a concubine at best."
"Your family is full of thieves, don't call me a pleb!"
I stared at the oddly similar flushed faces of the two noble ladies for a long while and then made perhaps the wisest decision I was ever going to make in my entire life.
That was to say,
"Rider."
"At once, Master."
"Love you, Luvia. Later, Rin."
I decided to dip.
Medusa picked me up in a princess carry. Before either Rin or Luviagelita could so much as utter a word, we were gone in a gust of wind. The world blurred by until I was stood outside the airport with only my servant beside me.
Of course, a whole new can of worms awaited me there. The Professor was standing outside, leaning against a shining sedan with a lit cigar in his mouth, hair swaying with the wind. His frown grew deeper the moment he saw me but instead of speaking, he just shook his head and gestured to the side with a nod.
Ellie... It was Ellie, and my mother.
My little sister, the most adorable creature on the planet, ran up to me with tears running down her puffy cheeks. She stopped near my knee to wipe her face with the sleeves of her sweater.
"I-I hate you, Hal!"
I knelt down and put my hands on her little shoulders. When I opened my mouths, my lips quivered and my vision blurred for no reason at all. Medusa put a cautious hand on my shoulder.
"Wh-Why are you crying too?" Ellie said between sobs.
I laughed, pulling her into a hug, "I-I'm not crying, you are."
For a good long while, we stayed that way. Then, my sister could no longer hold herself back.
"I missed you."
"I missed you a lot too."
When I looked up, my mother was staring down at us with a sad smile on her face. "I'm... I'm sorry I'm not good enough to-"
"No, none of that." I cut her off immediately, "You're the best, no one even comes close."
"But Hal, your hair... It's because of stress, isn't it? I'm sorry I'm not able to..."
Though it felt bad to, I cut my mother off once again, "It looks cooler this way anyway. So if anything, I'm thankful."
She had run herself ragged to raise me and my sister, working multiple jobs daily for as long as I could remember. She deserved all the happiness and relaxation in the world and then some, even if I had to work hard for it.
"I love my work. I really do." I reassured her.
"Then, I can't stop you." She sighed, "And I have no right to say this when you're working, I know, but Hal, we do miss you if you're gone too long."
Ah man, my vision had just started clearing up.
-
"Home-wrecker."
"It's not my fault you're not up to par."
"So... what did you do?" The Professor stared at the two girls a step away from throwing down standing near the airport exit. "It's not every day that I see the Edelfelt Lady at someone's throat outright."
I sheepishly scratched the back of my head, "I couldn't bring myself to shut Rin down."
"Hm, girl troubles. It took a lot longer than I was expecting."
I tilted my head confusedly, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Waver looked me up and down, then put his cigar to his lips. He shook his head, "Nothing. Nothing at all."
Silence descended, but only for a mere moment before the Professor was staring me down again. "Ignoring this, what the hell were you doing on TV?"
"Ah... so you know about that too."
"It was on the news here too." He deadpanned.
I laughed sheepishly, "Well, it turns out, if you donate two and a half billion dollars for reconstruction after a natural disaster, the government hands you an award. And come on, Professor, I couldn't just say no to them."
"Yes, you easily could." Waver rubbed his temple, "But I suppose I can't blame you for wanting to help, especially since..."
He didn't speak further. There was no need to. I had destroyed Fuyuki for my hedonistic whimsy, it was only natural that I help with the repairs, and all the homes and livelihoods I'd destroyed even if no one would ever know the truth.
"Where did you even get the money? I don't think all your assets were enough for it."
At that, I just grinned from ear to ear.
"You-... Don't tell me-"
"Let's just say, there were a lot of people who wanted to be on my good side thanks to Miss Touko. I even gave her a neat five million bonus."
There was no shortage of ready donors who wanted me to conveniently ignore their part in my recently-lifted Sealing Designation and the attempt on my life, especially after the consequence became annihilation. Nobunaga was right.
"And what was the initial payment for that stunt you two pulled?"
I snickered, "A pack of gum and two cigarettes."
Lord El-Melloi II groaned. "Of course. She's just as mad as you are."
-
My return to the Clock Tower itself was with no insignificant amount of fanfare. Gifts, offers, sponsorships, and apologies that were not said outright. There were even those that had apparently vehemently opposed the notion of getting rid of me.
Somehow, those last group of people only now remembered to remind me of that and I most certainly believed them.
Where I walked, heads were lowered, words became whispers and hearts quickened. They were terrified of what I would do if I perceived the slightest of insults and began giving me a wide berth... even those that were from Slur and Norwich, save for those people I called my real classmates.
They... did not seem to care as much and I could not have been more grateful for their lack of concern.
And then, in the evening, when I was eating pizza with Flat, a trembling man in a suit came to us, with a sealed letter in his hand.
-
Hope you enjoyed.